Blood Pack
by BlazePheonix
Summary: An alternate ending to Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab series) with Cassandra in the mix. Follow the life of Kiari Ravencraft, best friend to Dori and heiress of one the most prominant Craft families in the magical world. It's dhamphir danger and vampire politics, plots, battles, and a few surprises for the Basarab family.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"I wonder where she could've snuck off too," the Wallachian royal kissed his beautiful wife, "Kiari," he sniffed the air, "where are you, dulceata?"

"My love, no cheating, she is a little one and cannot hide her scent yet." His wife chided him, her long black hair blew around her in the night wind.

"How right you are" he listened, heard a giggle from the back and followed it, scooping up the little girl, "I found you."

"Daddy found me mama!" the little girl squealed as he lifted her into the air her brunette curls waving about.

"That he did, Kiari, now no doubt your papa is hungry. Why don't you come finish your dinner while he goes and finds his?" her mother put her arms out to take the little girl.

"Oh come now Catherine, a few moments before I go won't hurt." He kissed her.

"And you are usually only gone an hour, she can wait. You are not your father, my love, you always come back to us, of that I will never be doubtful."

"Go ahead daddy, I'll be here when you're not hungry no more." Kiari giggle.

***Hours Later***

He returned to their little house, thrilled to spend the evening with his little girl. As he got closer he became worried, smelling blood and fire, making him speed up his return. Upon his arrival he found the cottage burning to the ground Catherine's body massacred nearby. He raced to her side, hoping he could save her but she was gone. He raced into the woods "Kiari!" he called, "Kiari, it's papa, please come out." He called out, tears in his eyes, "Kiari please" he pleaded to dead air.

He tore off in a rampage, losing all the progress Catherine and Kiari had given him. He'd not seen his brothers in over a century but this stank of one of theirs or Mircea's precious Senate. They'd hand over his little girl or he was going tear everything down until he found her. He may have been out of the politics due to his lack of power and of course his lovely wife and daughter but they'd taken the only thing protecting them from him and without them no one would be safe from Vlad Basarab until his daughter was found.

*** POV change – 10 years later***

She woke up from another of her fits in a pool of blood, the hospital was in shambles, her white clothes stained, as was her face and hands. "You are a frightful creature aren't you my dear." A woman approached her, unappalled by what had happened?

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You may call me Matron Zula. I've come to take you away from here, my precious little dhampir." The woman held out her hand, "You will want for nothing and will have only the very best."

"Best what?"

"Teachers, trainers, guards, companions, anything you require will be at your disposal dear girl." Matron Zula took her arm gently to lift her from the mess.

"Why would you help an insane orphan like me ma'am?" she asked.

"You are no orphan my dear, you are the heiress to my Convenant and the youngest Basarab princess."

"How do you know that?"

"You are Kiari Marie Ravencraft Basarab are you not, daughter of Catherine Ravencraft and Vlad Basarab?"

"I am she"

"Then, my dear, you are my great granddaughter. I am Zula Ravencraft, Queen Matron of the Ravencraft covenant." Zula led the girl from the demolished hospital, "Come now my dear, we shall get you proper clothes and get you fed and your studies will begin tomorrow."

Kiari followed Zula to a beautiful castle, remaining behind the woman as they passed many people. She noticed everyone stopped to bow respectfully to the woman who called herself her great Grandmother. They arrived in a grand reception hall where other a young male and female, a vampire and a human mage, were waiting.

"Karo, Lydia I have found her at last." Zula walked in as the two bowed, "Here is the daughter of my Catherine, Kiari." She took her throne, urging the young girl to stand so she could be seen as all the people in the halls came to investigate.

"She has her mother's power, you can feel it pulsing through her and her mother's agile figure." The female mage smiled at her.

"And she has the green eyes and Brunette curls of the Basarab family, she is most definitely her father's daughter in appearance." The male vampire, Karo, agreed.

"Do you remember anything of your parents," Lydia asked, "poor dear, you must have been locked away all this time."

"They were happy, papa told me he used to be a very bad man and that I could not meet my uncles because he had hurt them time and again. He feared he would not be able to face them, that there were no apologies powerful enough to forgive what he'd done." Kiari nodded.

"Well now that everyone has had their chance to gawk, let us let her rest in her new rooms." Zula took her hand, "Lydia will show you, she will be your first magic instructor. I expect you to learn what she has to teach."

"Yes ma'am"

Lydia led Kiari to the rooms set aside for her, as only the Queen Matron's family and closest council lived in the castle itself, as well as the orphans they'd recently found Kiari would be treated like a princess should be. "What will you teach me Ma'am?" Kiari asked suddenly as they walked.

"Many things my dear, We will see if you share the same magicks as your mama and what else you can do. I will teach you to use your magic and control it. I will teach you herbs for potions and salves so if you ever should find yourself in need of such things you will have that knowledge. In short I will teach you everything I know about being a mage."

"And the vampire"

"Karos does not view dhamphirs as most others do, no one in the Covenant will ever speak ill of your heritage. He will teach you to fight vampires and other supernatural creatures, both defensively and offensively." Lydia stopped at a door and unlocked it, "Here we are, these are your private rooms Kiari, and here is the key should you ever feel you need privacy."

"I hear other children"

"That you do, orphans, they are intended to live here and train here along with you."

"I will have new friends?"

"Yes, there are two other dhampirs and one mage-to-be. They will be your learning companions and your coven mates from now on."


	2. Chapter 1 Reunion

Chapter One

"Zula, I need someone who would blend in seamlessly." The Consul spoke frankly.

"My Kiari is perfect for the job, does Mircea not have a little dhampir daughter. He, I'm sure, can endure another in his estate until this matter is sorted out." The Queen Matron sat at the end of the table, taking her great granddaughter's hand.

"If I may Grandmama," the young brunette woman looked to Zula for approval, "Lady Consul, my kill count is higher than most in this room to date. My record to date is that no matter the mission I have always performed above and beyond the call of duty and have never failed."

"Miss Ravencraft," Mircea stepped in, "what the Lady Consul and I believe may be a problem is that there are several people in your team, none of whom you've offered to name. I do not like the idea of strangers in my younger brother's home, not in his taxed condition."

"When you say I have the job you will have your list," Kiari stared him down, "And drop the miss, my name is Kiari since everyone else is so informal."

"As you wish," Mircea nodded to the Consul, "you have the job."

"Thank you sir," she turned to her great grandmother, "I'll alert the team."

"The list, Miss Ravencraft" Mircea spoke up.

"It's in your office." She shrugged, walking away.

*** Blood Pack's base****

"So we're bodyguards for your fucked up uncle." One of the males tossed back another beer.

"He can never know that last bit." Kiari glared, "You will not speak of that on this job, understood Draven."

"Of Course Black Dragon, nothing to jeopardize your safety or that of this team." The male nodded, his shoulder-length blonde hair bobbing.

"Good, now you're new to this team Draven. This will be your test run, it'll decide whether or not you join this team permanently. Don't fuck it up."

** Radu's Mansion**

"Brother, you have brought guests." Radu sounded thrilled.

"They are your guards until this matter is solved." Mircea explained, " *Ladies Clarissa and Kiari are dhampirs, they will be treated with respect as if they were myself, is this understood?*" he turned to the house servants.

" *I speak Romanian*" Kiari cracked her neck.

"A surprising twist" Radu looked surprised.

"Daddy was a noble, left that life for the simple life with mama. When she died and I was kidnapped he probably went nuts and they probably killed him. Gran is trying to find out where he went to for me but she's not heard anything." Kiari dropped her bag on the ground.

"Perhaps we know of him, there are few of Romanian decent that myself or one of my house have sired." Mircea offered.

"I don't remember," Kiari sighed, selling her lie with a trained art, "I was locked in an asylum for ten years. Gran says my memory is a little off, she never met him nor was told his name, only what I have told you."

"That is such a tragedy my dear, come I'll have Geoffrey take your compatriots to their respective rooms." Radu looked touched, Mircea gave her a look like he didn't quite buy her story, "You must see my garden. Your great grandmother speaks of you often, she says when you came to her home you were astounded by her gardens."

"Indeed I was…I'm sorry I don't believe I know your formal title." She let him lead her away.

Once they were out of hearing range Mircea approached Clarissa, her dhampir friend. The blonde was picking at her nails, sitting cross-legged in leather riding gear. "My lady," Mircea began.

"Stop right there, first off do not address me as if you truly believe me to be your equal or even in the same status range. I can't stand fakes. Second, I know no more about Kiari than what you have been told. Even if I did there is no spell or compulsion powerful enough to make me tell her secrets." Clarissa put her hand up.

"I merely wish to inquire how you came to be a part of her little crew."

"Lying to a con-artist is never a good thing to try, you are dodging. Karos warned us that this was your way, ever the perfect politician."

"Very well then, how is it you are her friend, a confidante and yet you do not know more than I?"

"She is not a secretive child, her father spent too long in the politics of his home to keep secrets from his child and taught her the value of truth."

"Yet she has stood here and lied outright."

"Her father also instilled in her the value of trust, trust before truth will get what you seek, truth before trust will lead you to death by those to whom you speak."

"I've heard that before."

"It's a fairly common quote that Kiari started soon after her arrival. It holds true against outsiders."

"And we are outsiders"

"You are a means to whatever new toy she wants, you're worse than an outsider, you're clientele."

"Your leader truly feels in such a way?" Mircea looked surprised.

"Outsiders can gain our trust with time, clientele are strictly need-to-know and you don't."

"I only sought to help."

"And our Black Dragon is humble enough to ask for it if she feels she needs it, but prying into her life will get you nothing but trouble."

"Is there a problem?" one of the males approached.

"It's nothing Nikolas, Lord Mircea was inquiring about our mistress." Clarissa shrugged, sauntering off.

"Excuse Clarissa, she hasn't seen her father in several months. She gets like this when she hasn't heard from him. Ethan is the same way."

"The young man at her side, he is human."

"He is her half-brother; her father took him in as well when their mother tried to throw her out in the cold."

"How much does your blood pack know about your leader?"

"Nothing they are willing to share with outsiders, Kit Marlowe can't even find information on her I presume."

"I don't like leaving my brother with strangers, not in his condition."

"We understand Lord Mircea but Kiari is far more paranoid than your younger brother, she does not share her past lest it put us in danger."

"I leave him in your mistress' capable hands." Mircea nodded and went to leave.

"He will be safe." Nikolas assured him.

"They are getting along famously." Ethan approached.

"She is building a bond with him," Nikolas sighed, "she knows they have her father locked away somewhere. If the younger trusts her well enough he may let something slip."

"We're playing with fire Nik."

" For her, I'm willing to burn,"

"As are we all"


End file.
